In my homeschool, we implement nature study year-round. One of my favorite parts about this is learning to identify the plants, flowers, and trees we see around us. It has brought so much joy to our lives. 

Recently, we have enjoyed spreading wildflower seeds on our property and learning to identify the names of the trees in the woods near our home. Learning to observe and name the parts of nature we see first in our backyard, and then in the other parts of the world around us, has been an exciting and meaningful part of my life. 

In the summer, I especially love seeing the bright and colorful flowers that bloom around us. In this blog post, I am sharing some of the values behind my love for nature study, plus a fun sunflower dissection flower activity.

In this blog post: 

• Benefits of nature study
• Sunflower dissection activity
• Fun activities for learning about sunflowers
• Treehouse Nature Study: Summer - Summer Flowers Unit Study [Free download]
• Explore other nature themes with Treehouse Nature Study

Benefits of nature study

In my homeschool, we value nature study because I want my children to personally relate to and experience the world around them through the natural world. 

Nature study is as simple as spending time outdoors and observing the surrounding world. This habit is built over consistent time outdoors over days, months, and years. Being in rhythm with the seasons shows us how the world is constantly changing and renewing. Nature study is developed by connecting with nature time and time again. As children spend more time outdoors observing nature and learning to name the things around them, they will naturally form a greater understanding and deeper connection with the world around them.

Related: 30+ Nature Play Ideas for the Early Years

Most days, my children will spend several hours outside, whether that is eating lunch together on our porch, running in our backyard, or exploring the woods near our home. Over the years we have gained so much life from living with the seasons and the rhythm of nature. 

We also use nature study as part of our Morning Time together. My family uses Treehouse Nature Study to study nature year-round. During the summer, we will study soil and composting, the sun, bodies of water, and so much more. Treehouse Nature Study gently invites children to learn through living books, nature notebooking, hands-on projects, and beauty subjects such as poetry, picture study, and folk songs through the lens of nature. As children learn about the world around them, they will supplement their language arts learning with poetry memorization, recitation, copywork, and notebooking. 

Related: Notebooking in Your Homeschool: Why and How?

Nature study can also lay a foundation for science and awaken interest in other academic subjects.

Sunflower dissection activity

In addition to observing nature, this sunflower dissection activity is a great opportunity for hands-on learning. Learn to identify and distinguish different parts of a sunflower with this activity, which is a part of Summer Flowers Week from Treehouse Nature Study: Summer. Scroll down to download Summer Flowers Week, including the directions and display sheets pictured below.

Materials: 

• Large sunflowers
• Tweezers
• Magnifying glass
• Anatomy of a Sunflower Sheet and Sunflower Dissection Sheet from Summer Flowers Week.

Directions: Observe the Anatomy of a Sunflower Sheet. Use tweezers and a magnifying glass to dissect flowers and identify the parts. Sort the parts using the Sunflower Dissection Sheet.

Fun activities for learning about sunflowers

Craft ideas

• Sunflower handprint craft  (Twinkl) - Use handprints as petals to make your own sunflower with paint and paper.
• Noodle sunflowers (Crafty Morning) - Paint pasta noodles yellow to create petals for a hands-on, tactile sunflower craft.
• Giant sunflower (Inner Child Fun) - Recycle an oatmeal container to create a life-size sunflower craft.
• Fork print sunflower (Crafty Morning) - Use a fork to make “petals” in this sunflower craft project.
• Tissue paper sunflower craft (Kids Activities Blog) - Kids will have fun scrunching up tissue paper to replicate the look and feel of a sunflower.

Nature activities

• Grow a sunflower (Upstart) - Plant a seed and watch it grow! Take your activity to the next level with these variables and spot the differences in the plants as they grow.
• Visit a sunflower farm or maze. 
• Learn about the heliotropic growth of sunflowers with this science demonstration (Vancleave’s Science Fun).
• Participate in the Great Sunflower Project by observing and tracking how many pollinators visit sunflowers in your area.
• Experiment with flower pigments with this science project (Happily Ever After Mom).

Snacks and recipes

• Sunflower cookies (Make and Takes) - Decorate sugar cookies with “seeds” and “petals” to create a tasty sunflower treat.
• Sunflower seed cookies with oatmeal (Grits and Pinecones) - Enjoy these easy prep and delicious cookies with your kids and family.
• Sunflower seed brittle (Strength and Sunshine) - This is an easy candy recipe that kids can help put together.
• Sunflower cupcakes (Sally’s Baking Addiction) - Have fun in the kitchen practicing your piping skills with this decorated cupcake recipe.
• No knead seeded oat bread (Sally’s Baking Addiction) - Add sunflower seeds to the mix with this easy bread recipe.

Online resources

• How to draw a sunflower (Art Hub for Kids)
• Sunflower watercolor tutorial (Jay Lee Painting)
• How sunflower's track the sun's movements (Australian Academy of Science)

Related: Summer Homeschooling: 6 Rhythms for Intentional Summer Enrichment

Dig deeper with Treehouse Nature Study: Summer - Summer Flowers Week [Free Unit Study]

Get into the season with this Summer Flowers unit study from Treehouse Nature Study: Summer. Summer Flowers Week is a five-day study with a variety of ways to engage with the season. It includes a coordinating folk song, hand rhyme, poem, and picture study, plus a fiction and nonfiction booklist. Each day also includes a hands-on nature activity. Download the free Summer Flowers week from Treehouse Nature Study below.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Summer Flowers Unit Study from Treehouse Nature Study: Summer

Explore other nature themes with Treehouse Nature Study

Treehouse Nature Study is a seasonal nature study curriculum designed with family-style learning in mind. It is a gentle guide meant to invite various ages to connect with each other and the world around them through living books, nature notebooking, hands-on projects, and beauty subjects such as poetry, picture study, and folk songs. 

From preschool through upper middle school, it appeals to every age and is easily used with multiple ages at the same time. 

Related: Six Core Values of Treehouse Nature Study

Treehouse Nature Study is great fit for your preschool or kindergartener’s core curriculum or your whole family’s home education Morning Time and Nature Study. It also provides supplemental work for your children’s language arts through poetry memorization, recitation, copywork, and notebooking.

Treehouse Nature Study is a 52-week curriculum that offers year-round nature study topics. Every season hosts a variety of studies that directly relate to the surrounding world.

Each week of Treehouse Nature Study: Summer covers a nature theme such as:

• Soil and Composting
• The Sun
• Summer Solstice
• Bodies of Water
• Marine Mammals
• Sharks and Fish
• Mollusks and Crustaceans
• Seashells
• Summer Flowers
• Storms
• Beetles
• Reptiles
• Landforms

What nature themes and activities are you excited to study with your children this summer? Let me know in the comments below.